Cinderella
by Bella3
Summary: Max gets a little help from a fairy godmother so she can attend the ball . . . .
1. Once Upon A Time

Cinderella - Preparations (part one)  
  
Max hated days like this one. Usually Normal didn't interfere too much with her plans, but today, today, he was in one of his moods. She couldn't do anything right. None of them could.  
  
And tonight she had a party to go to. Well, actually a ball. Logan had been invited to a charity gala, which of course he had to attend. And she was his date. Well she would be if she ever got out of Jam Pony.  
  
"Normal, can I go, please? It's five to five," Max said, "My shift ends at five."  
  
"I specifically remember asking you to take this package to 725 Bleeker. It's still sitting here. Go on, go. Bip bip bip."  
  
Max took the package, sighing. Bleeker was all the way across town. She'd be late getting home and would have to rush getting dressed. Luckily, speed was included in her special skills from Manticore.  
  
Max made it to Bleeker in record time. She found 725 with relative ease and knocked on the door. A small, plump, happy woman answered the door. She was dressed in pale, flowey scarves and skirts.   
  
"Yes?" her voice was musical.  
  
"Jam Pony Messenger. Package for Flora Merryweather," Max said. What a name.  
  
"Oh, thank you dear, I've been waiting for those wands to arrive." Wands? Flora signed the delivery slip and took the package from Max. "Hang on dear, I've got one going out."  
  
Flora disappeared and returned moments later with a large box. "Here," she said, handing it to Max, "Be careful, they're fragile."  
  
Max smiled. "No problem. Where to?"  
  
"It's on the box dearie, but I'm afraid it's the other side of town. You must be about to end your shift . . ."  
  
"It's okay. It's on my way home," Max assured the woman. Max was beginning to like her, for all her eccentricities.  
  
Pedaling back, Max was careful not to jar the package in any way. She wondered what was so fragile in there. Maybe more 'wands'. At Jam Pony, she handed in her signed delivery slip and was filled out one for the new package.  
  
"623 B Main," Normal said, reading the label, "That's on your way home."  
  
Max nodded. "I'll take it. I'll make sure to bring the delivery slip tomorrow."  
  
"Fine. Go," Normal waved her away.  
  
Max rode home, balancing the package as she pedaled. She was wrapped up in thoughts of preparing for the ball. She couldn't remember where she'd put her shoes that went with that dress she'd worn to Logan's cousin's wedding. Max hopped off her bike in front of her building and looked at the package's label.  
  
Max Guevara  
624 Main #705  
Seattle, WA  
  
The package was for her.  
  
Shaking her head, Max climbed in the elevator and rode it to the seventh floor. She got out and entered her apartment. Kendra was there, already heating water for Max's bath.  
  
"Hey, I figured you were gonna be a little late, so," she gestured towards the pot of hot water.  
  
"Thanks, Kendra, you're the greatest," Max said, putting down the package.  
  
"Whatcha got there?" Kendra asked.  
  
"I don't know. I picked it up on a run. But I don't think the lady who gave it to me was the one who sent it."  
  
"Ooooh, I bet it's from Logan," Kendra said, peering over Max's shoulder as Max opened the box carefully.  
  
Max lifted a large amount of white material out of the box. She held it up. It was the dress she'd worn in the dream . . . the dream where she and Logan had danced. She smiled to herself. Trust Logan to find the dress and then send it to her in a roundabout way.  
  
Under the dress was a pair of shoes. Glass slippers actually. Max looked at them in wonder. Where would Logan have found glass slippers?  
  



	2. Preparations

Cinderella part 2 - The Carriage  
  
"Well, Prince Charming certainly has interesting connections," Kendra said.  
  
"Yeah," Max said, looking at them in wonder.  
  
"Anywho, time to get you ready," Kendra said, "Lemme know when you're done bathing and I'll help you with your make up and hair."  
Max sunk into the hot water that was scented with a generous donation of citrus oil by Kendra. The smell of orange blossoms was heavenly. In a time when chicken was scarce, you could get citrus oil and glass slippers. What a world.  
  
Later, Max stepped out of her bath and dried off with the towel she'd inadvertently stolen from Logan's. She'd walked out with it after showering the mud off, and he hadn't noticed. Slipping into the dress, Max sat down and studied her reflection in the mirror. What next?  
  
She called Kendra in and described how she wanted her hair. While Max kept a hand over the barcode on her neck, disguising the action as an attempt to assist Kendra, the other woman pulled her hair up into a French twist, leaving the ends curling at the top. She pulled out some face framing strands and a section in the back. Kendra then moved on to her make up, while Max arranged the back section of her hair to hide the barcode.  
  
"Stop fussing with it, you'll pull it out," Kendra scolded. Max folded her hands in her lap. "Good girl. Now pout." Max did as was told and Kendra applied a little of her precious lipstick to Max's full lips.  
  
When Kendra was done, Max surveyed the results in the mirror. "Thanks Kendra."  
  
"No problem. Now go have fun at the ball. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."  
  
"Which is?" Max teased.  
  
"Don't come home before midnight."  
  
Max smiled went to wait for Logan at the door of the building.  
  
Instead of Logan, a white limo and its driver waited for her.  
  
The driver was a small man in a black suit. He had a bushy mustache and his front teeth were a little pronounced, making him resemble a mouse. Max smiled to herself as the small man stepped up to her and held out a note.  
  
M - Please take the limo to the ball and meet me there.  
  
It could only be Logan's doing. The driver opened the door for her and Max slid into the soft leather seats. She leaned back as the driver started the car. Soft music filled the backseat, and Max smiled as she recognized the tune. Valse Triste.   
  
Soon they arrived at the mansion where the ball was being held. The driver opened the door for Max and then took her to the door where he handed her over to the doorman. "Miss Maxine Guevara," he whispered to the doorman.  
  
The doorman escorted Max down a hall to the ballroom. They stood on s balcony above the room. A hush fell over the room and everyone turned to look at them. Max felt like a contestant in a pageant.   
  
"Miss Maxine Guevara," the doorman announced. He gestured for Max to go down the curving staircase to the ballroom floor where Logan waited, leaning on his cane.  
  
When she reached the bottom, Logan took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "Max," he whispered looking up at her, "You are stunningly beautiful."  
  
"Thank you," she said as he tucked her hand under his arm and lead her towards the dance floor. "And thanks for the limo ride. Wherever did you find glass slippers?"  
  
"Max, what glass slippers?"  
  
She pulled up her skirts and pointed. "Those glass slippers."  
  
"Max, I didn't send them."  
  



	3. The Carriage

Part 3 - The Carriage   
  
Instead of Logan, a white limo and its driver waited for her.   
  
The driver was a small man in a black suit. He had a bushy mustache and his front teeth were a little   
pronounced, making him resemble a mouse. Max smiled to herself as the small man stepped up to   
her and held out a note.   
  
*M - Please take the limo to the ball and meet me there.*   
  
It could only be Logan's doing. The driver opened the door for her and Max slid into the soft leather   
seats. She leaned back as the driver started the car. Soft music filled the backseat, and Max smiled   
as she recognized the tune. Valse Triste.   
  
Soon they arrived at the mansion where the ball was being held. The driver opened the door for Max  
  
and then took her to the door where he handed her over to the doorman. "Miss Maxine Guevara," he  
whispered to the doorman.   
  
The doorman escorted Max down a hall to the ballroom. They stood on s balcony above the room. A  
hush fell over the room and everyone turned to look at them. Max felt like a contestant in a pageant.  
  
"Miss Maxine Guevara," the doorman announced. He gestured for Max to go down the curving   
staircase to the ballroom floor where Logan waited, leaning on his cane.   
  
When she reached the bottom, Logan took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "Max," he whispered   
looking up at her, "You are stunningly beautiful."   
  
"Thank you," she said as he tucked her hand under his arm and lead her towards the dance floor.   
"And thanks for the limo ride. Wherever did you find glass slippers?"   
  
"Max, what glass slippers?"   
  
She pulled up her skirts and pointed. "Those glass slippers."   
  
"Max, I didn't send them."   
  
  



	4. The Ball

  
Cinderella Part 4 - The Ball   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Max, I didn't send them."   
  
"Then who did?"   
  
Logan shrugged. "A fairy godmother?"   
  
Max thought back to Flora Merryweather. The woman had certainly looked like a fairy godmother.  
And she'd said something about wands. Max knew that the label on the package had changed  
between Jam Pony and her apartment. But no way could it be . . . . however, Max herself was  
something of a wonder, so she couldn't rule it out completely.   
  
"Want to dance?" Logan asked.   
  
"Yes," Max told him. He guided her out to the dance floor. An arm confidently slid around her waist,  
pulling her closer to his body. His other hand interlaced fingers with hers as they slowly started  
waltzing. Max rested her head on Logan's chest as they glided across the floor. After a while Logan  
placed Max's hand over his heart and held it there.   
  
Max enjoyed herself that night. Logan never left her side, and they danced to almost every song.  
Later they sat outside under the stars and talked.   
  
"Thanks for coming," Logan told her.   
  
"No big dealio," she whispered, "I enjoyed it."   
  
Logan smiled and leaned in to kiss her. And that's when the clock struck twelve.   
  
  



	5. Midnight

Cinderella Part 5 - Midninght   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Logan smiled and leaned in to kiss her. And that's when the clock struck twelve.   
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Max caught sight of someone . . . someone familiar.   
  
Lydecker.   
  
"Gotta blaze," she whispered to Logan, and took off, leaving him wondering after her. Then he saw  
what had caused her to run off. Over by the buffet table, there was a man who looked an awful lot  
like Lydecker. Logan knew that this was not Lydecker, but an ex-pop star from the early 90's and  
2000's. The guy did look an awful lot like 'Decker though.   
  
Logan ran after her, but by the time he got to the door, she was long gone. Only one of the dainty  
glass slippers she'd been wearing had slipped off her foot and was sitting on the steps. He picked it  
up and went to get the Aztec.   
  
Max knew exactly where she was running. Not to Logan's. Not home. To Flora Merryweather's. That  
woman had set a trap and now she was going to answer some of Max's questions. Max was so  
intent on getting there that she didn't even notice that she had lost a slipper . . .   
  
Max snuck into Flora's house, and searched for the woman. She found her in the living room,  
knitting.   
  
"Hello," Flora said without turning around to face Max, "why aren't you still at the ball?"   
  
"You know why. You set the trap."   
  
"Trap? No, dear, I'm not what you think."   
  
"Then what are you?"   
  
"The preferred term is fairy godmother."   
  
Max snorted. "Then why am I not wearing rags? Why isn't there a pumpkin in the driveway? Why-"   
  
"Didn't you loose a glass slipper?" Flora interrupted.   
  
"Well, yes . . ." Max stopped short.   
  
"That's all that needed to happen," Flora said, "He found it."   
  
"What?"   
  
"Your prince dearie," Flora said, "he found the glass slipper."   
  
Max had decided the woman was nuts. This could all be coincidence right? Some old lady with too  
much money and not a lot upstairs decides to play 'fairy godmother' to the first person she sees,  
and then Lydecker just shows up at the same function . . .   
  
Come to think of it, she hadn't been followed . . .   
  
And where was that glass slipper?   
  
Max turned and ran, in the direction of Logan's . . .   
  
By the time she got there, her hair was hanging in messy strands and she was a mess. But she  
didn't care . . .   
  
Logan was standing, looking out the window when he heard Max come in. He turned around and  
took in her disheveled state. She was the most beautiful woman ever.   
  
"Missing something?" he asked, pulling out the glass slipper.   
  
"I've been looking for that all over," Max said.   
  
Logan kneeled down in front of her and, gently taking her ankle, he slid the glass slipper on to her  
foot. "I found my princess," he said, standing up. They kissed . . .   
  
THE END   
  
A/N - Sorry this took so long, I was VERY busy ( and blocked too . . .) Hope you all like it   
  
~Bella  
  



End file.
